Solitude
by vintageweasley
Summary: That's all she was, homework help. Hermione's face contorted in to one of pain, and Draco stood watching curiously and slightly puzzled. He felt a foreboding air sweep around the room, as she let out a confused sob."No? I- I hadn't thought about it before, how much- I actually- how much pain I've had inside me? What- what's wrong with me!"She began to sound frantic.
1. Chapter 1

Hermione entered the castle along with her two best friends. Talking jovially amongst themselves, Hermione decided to sort of fade in to the background.

_It's where I belong._ Hermione scolded to herself, and frowned. Tucking her nose in to her book, she forked away from them, and slammed her book shut. Yeah, sure; she loved reading. But no bloody witch actually liked to read twenty-four hours a day. It was all a façade for Hermione, separate yourself for everyone, and their feelings for you would start to deteriorate. She couldn't have anybody hurt.

Hermione sullenly trudged up the Astronomy Tower steps, a harmless looking note placed in her hand. She wanted to rip it to shreds in anger, but that wouldn't save Harry's life. She had made a deal with the devil himself. Wrapping her arms around her as the wind picked up, she took off her shoes and placed them in a neat pile to the side. Her feet met cold stone, and she was at peace. Closing her eyes, she heard a loud scream from behind her. Whipping her head around she saw the last person she thought she would ever meet up here.

Pansy Parkinson let out a loud scream, dropped her books with a loud 'clunk' and raced over to Hermione. At the last minute Hermione tried to fling herself over the edge, but Parkinson had a firm hold.

"Draco come help me!" She screeched, and Draco stared dumbly, before racing over. He gripped her other arm and pulled Hermione away from the edge, her thrashing and all. Once she realized she wasn't winning, she let out a loud frustrated scream, and fell limply in their arms. Draco immediately handed her over to Pansy who whispered consoling words in to the distraught witches ear. Hermione began to sob loudly in Pansy's arms, and dropped the piece of parchment in her hands. Draco curiously opened it up, and paled. He recognized the hand writing.

It was Voldemort's.

_Kill yourself within the next two weeks, or your so called chosen one will die._

"You? Why?" Draco stuttered, and Hermione stopped crying long enough to look over at Draco miserably.

"It was either me or my best friend." She croaked, and Pansy rubbed her back.

"There has got to be another way." Draco couldn't believe the words that were flying out of his mouth, and it seems that Hermione was surprised too.

"You won't do this. We are going straight to Dumbledore." He declared and he pulled both the women to their feet quickly. Walking down the steps, Pansy wrapped an arm around the trembling witches shoulder.

"Why does he care?" Hermione whispered to Pansy Parkinson curiously, and she stiffened a bit.

"Draco- His mother- She's suicidal. All those times he leaves school? Those aren't death eater meetings; his mother sends him terrifying notes about how she'll hang herself and how she loves him.. I've read one of them before. Really scary." Hermione was dumbstruck by this piece of evidence. Harry was always on about how Draco was busy trying to kill Dumbledore, but here they were; marching straight up to his room for help.

Looking towards him, Hermione saw Draco's eyebrows furrowed, and saw his hand twitching nervously at his side. Hermione took this piece of information in stride; he was nervous and feeling vulnerable. He was literally _itching_ for his wand.

People watched the odd new trio pass by. Even Harry and Ron watched them pass with surprised expressions. Ron was more blatantly obvious about his opinion.

"Hermione! What are you doing walking with the ferret and the _toad_?" Pansy's arm gripped Hermione's tightly, and released it once she knew what she was doing. Hermione was sickened by Ron's disgusting nicknames and she made sure it came across her face. She loved Ron, but it was becoming childish.

"Get me out of here." She breathed towards Pansy, and she obliged. Harry tried to grab the back of her coat, but she swatted him away quickly.

"Stay away. Please." She begged, and Pansy practically dragged her down the hallway. Harry's face flashed in Hermione's mind. He felt betrayed. Hermione fell to the ground in a fit of sobs, and Pansy tried to quiet her.

"No! No. I can't do this anymore. I can't have somebody's life in my hands. I'm sorry." Hermione whispered a small '_Petrificus Totalus_' under both Draco and Pansy. Pansy's face had tears flowing freely down it, and Draco's eyes were closed.

' Dear Merlin, please let this work. _Finite Incantantum_' Draco immediately stumbled in his steps, and reached out for Hermione, who had her wand to her head.

"How?" She sputtered, and Draco ripped her wand out of her hand, and pocketed it. She glared at him half-heartedly.

"Come on. We can solve this. Harry and you don't have to die. Never doubt Dumbledore's mind." He scolded, and her lower lip trembled. He let Pansy free of the curse, and she gasped for breath, clutching her shirt. Pansy didn't know what to think; she was just in anguish.

"Pansy, you are stronger than this. Dust yourself off and help me take Hermione to Dumbledore's" Draco snapped, and Hermione's eyes narrowed. Why was Pansy letting him speak to her like that? She watched Pansy wipe the tears out of her eyes, and straighten up.

"You're right. I'm not weak." She sniffed, and grasped Hermione's arm. Hermione stumbled in surprise, finally realizing that Draco was just talking to Pansy the way she wanted to be talked to. Some people don't do well with the gentle encouragements, and do better with a firm scolding.

"_Probably a pureblood thing." _Hermione mused, as they walked up Dumbledore's steps.

"Professor!" Draco called out, and the doors opened. Dumbledore looked surprised to see Hermione shaking in her boots and Pansy and Draco holding her up.

"Hermione… seems to be in a predicament." He worded carefully, and glanced at Hermione for permission to explain. She nodded feebily.

"Hermione had gotten this note from Voldemort that, er, persuaded her to try to attempt suicide. It was her or Harry Potter." Dumbledore nodded slowly at Draco's words, now understand why it was him helping the trembling girl in front of her.

"Dear Hermione, you only had to ask for help." He said sadly, as he watched the girl wipe tears away from her face.

"I'll take care of this problem immediately. But Miss Granger- I have to ask; was that the only reason you had tried to end your life?" Hermione stiffened at the question and bit her lip in contemplation. Had it been? She had been having many plaguing thoughts lately. Every time she actually had tried to initiate a decent conversation with her two best friends, they only wanted her for homework help.

That's all she was, homework help.

Hermione's face contorted in to one of pain, and Draco stood watching curiously and slightly puzzled. He felt a foreboding air sweep around the room, as she let out a confused sob.

"No? I- I hadn't thought about it before, how much- I actually- how much _pain _ I've had inside me? What- what's wrong with me?!"She began to sound frantic and she began to tug at her hair.

"Hermione, nothing is wrong with you. As much as it pains me to say this, you've been neglected for a long time now. It would only have been so long before you would start having suicidal thought." Dumbledore stared at her thoughtfully, and started to speak again." Miss Granger, I believe I'm going to have to put you in solitude; without a wand. Only for three weeks."

Hermione stared at Dumbledore, horrified and feeling betrayed by the old teacher.

"But- you-"She began to rant, but the professor merely waved his hand.

"Now, it's not complete solitude. Mr. Malfoy is very, and unfortunately, skilled in helping women be relieved of their suicidal thoughts. I believe we have an extra dormitory, where you will both be staying. I believe by the end you will have recuperated very well." Draco's face paled drastically to the point where he could have been mistaken as a ghost. Pansy patted Hermione on the shoulder, and Hermione winced.

"It's for the best. Dumbledore knows what he is doing." She soothed, and Hermione nodded blankly. She had thrust herself in to this situation, and now she would pay for it. Hermione mentally cursed

"I will lead you to your new dormitory." Draco and Hermione both stood up, and turned their heads to Pansy when they heard her speak.

"Professor, could I possibly visit them from time to time? I- I just want-" Pansy huffed, not being able to find a reasonable excuse to contribute to her argument.

"Yes, Miss Parkinson, I'll allow you to set up that schedule with those two; explicitly of course. I wouldn't want you to go on and tell everyone about Miss Granger's fragile state." He raised an eyebrow, and Pansy nodded.

"Of course." She said quietly, and she followed the Professor and the other two down the stairs and down the hallway. Turning the corner, and stopping in front of a door that said 'Broom Closet' on it, Professor Dumbledore opened the door, and Hermione's jaw dropped.

He had just revealed a cozy common room, with neutral and plush brown carpet. There were two couches and one arm chair, which were all a slate gray. Hermione loved it; especially the fireplace that she now only had to share with one other person.

"I love it! Thank you, thank you." She exclaimed, and turned to her Professor with a weak smile. Draco nodded.

"I like it too. I'm only worried about the door. I don't want random kids stumbling in here for a quick shag, I mean it says broom closet-" Professor Dumbledore laughed merrily, and clapped a hand on the boys back.

"I'll put a simple spell on it; you'll only be able to open it with a password. How about lemon drops?" Both Hermione and Draco nodded. Dumbledore began to stroll out of the room, stating how he sincerely hoped Hermione would feel better by the end of the three weeks. Professor called Pansy to him and she muttered a few goodbyes before following him out of the room. Draco and Hermione were left alone.

Hermione gingerly placed her hand on the top of the couch, and sat down quietly; the couch made no noise as she sank in to it. She watched Draco glide over to the kitchen area, and disappear behind the wall.

"So, how are you feeling?" He called out, and Hermione practically glared through the wall Draco was hiding behind. Leaning her head back, she placed her hands in her lap, limply.

"I feel nothing." She murmured, unsure of why she was telling him her feelings, and if he could even hear her. Draco emerged from around the corner with two steaming mugs. He placed one in Hermione's hands, before striding over to the arm chair next to the couch she was on.

"Well, tell me why." He replied nonchalantly, and Hermione's eyes blazed. How could he be so blatantly at ease with her feelings. She would show him. She threw the mug down on the ground, and it cracked. The burning hot chocolate spread all over the carpet, and she clenched her fists.

"What, makes you bloody think I'll tell you anything. You sit there like- like nothing happened to me! I won't tell you anything." She hissed, before stomping up to her dormitory. When she slammed the door, and fell back on her bed, she was beginning to feel a little guilty. He had merely tried to help her get rid of kempt up feelings, and she totally flipped out on him.

_Hermione Granger, you are losing your mind._ She thought to herself, before timidly opening her door and padding down the steps quietly. She peeked around the corner to see Draco hadn't moved yet, except the mug was now on a side table. He ran his fingers down his face, and sighed quietly. He remained still for a while, with his hands over his eyes, and Hermione thought he might have fell asleep that way. To her surprise, a few seconds later, Draco pulled his face from his hands and wiped away any remnants of tears he had had. Pulling himself to his knees, he pulled out his wand and muttered a quick _Reparo_ and fixed the mug Hermione had smashed.

"_Aufero_." The hot chocolate flew out of the carpet and back in to the mug, and Draco took both of them back to the kitchen, where he placed them in the sink. Draco trudged up the stairs with an exhausted posture Hermione had never seen before, and disappeared.

Hermione was feeling a sense of regret within her. He had cleaned up her mess without any groaning at all, and didn't spit back a witty retort that would have sent Hermione spiraling off. Walking back up the steps, Hermione realized that she was making it a lot harder for both of them.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Hermione woke up feeling alone. Remembering vividly how she snapped at Draco, she let out a sigh as she stumbled down the stairs lazily.

Walking in to the kitchen for a cup of tea, she fumbled around carelessly for a spoon to stir in her honey. When she wrenched open the silverware drawer, her heart quickened and her breathing seemed to stop in her throat. She felt as if someone had stuck a huge boazar down her throat and expected her to swallow it with no problem.

The knife glinted menacingly at her, and she stared horrified at the sharp object. Reaching for it on her own accord, she held it shakily in her hand, running her fingers along the smooth part. It felt foreign in Hermione's hands as she turned it over in her hands multiple times, watching the light glimmer off of it. Sliding down to the floor, she leaned her head back on the cabinets, going over in her head every memory she had within her. She smiled for a while, when something horrible happened.

Her mind flashed to the moment in First Year, when Ron had stated that it was no wonder why she didn't have any friends. Every time Hermione had refused him help with his homework and how he had sneered menacingly. Every time Harry had just watched the situation and did nothing to help it.

"Granger." Hermione opened her eyes and let out a small squeak to see she had the knife just inches away from her stomach. She flung it across the room and it clattered to the ground. Hermione turned herself away from Draco, and shut her eyes tight, willing the tears away. She heard Draco shuffle next to her, and kneel down. He handed Hermione her cup of tea, and she opened her eyes. She saw he was looking down at the ground awkwardly, and she coughed.

"Thank you." She managed to say, and he nodded, dusting off his pants. Standing up, he hesitantly offered his hand, and she took it; standing up also.

"Why don't you stay out of the kitchen for now?" He muttered and she laughed nervously, then thought otherwise and tried to cough over it.

"Ahem yes. Wouldn't want to get stuck helping a mudblood, would you?" Draco's eyes narrowed at the comment, and he glared at her. She was switching his past words to hurt him and he really didn't appreciate it.

_Don't hex her, she's going through a rough time… she doesn't mean it…_ He scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever." He said coldly, and Hermione's eyes widened. Did she offend him?..

"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Shut up." He snapped at her, and sighed exasperatedly. Hermione began to glare back at him, and crossed her arms in front of her.

"Now, I didn't really mean to twist your words. I thought that was how you truly felt." She huffed and was startled when he let out an icy laugh.

"Oh, how very cryptic of you Granger; if we are going along the same lines here, I am actually a _real_ ferret?" He asked, and Hermione spluttered, trying to come up with a good retort.

"You're incorrigible!" Hermione cried out, waving her hands dramatically and Draco raised an eyebrow. He wasn't really angry at her anymore, merely amused.

"Alright, Granger; just keep insulting me." Draco said and with a dramatic sigh, he fell back on the couch. Lounging across the whole couch, with his hands behind his head and his long torso and legs stretched in front of him, he took up the whole couch. Hermione sniffed indignantly, pulling a book out of a nearby shelf and began to read. Hermione was very entertained by the book for almost an hour, when she spoke.

"Draco?" She asked, and he grunted in response, his eyes still closed.

"How is your mother doing?" Hermione asked and his eyes shot open. He sat up.

"I... I don't know actually. I need to write to her. Wait- who told you?!" He asked angrily, and Hermione turned her head back to the book.

"Pansy. But don't get upset at her." She added the last part quickly, as Draco let out a string of curses, pacing back in forth in front of her.

"Letter. Okay. I'll start the letter." Draco grumbled to himself, taking a piece of parchment out of the desk and dipping his quill in ink. Hermione watched him as he hastily scribbled in his exquisite cursive, and rolled the parchment up, sealing it with a stamp. Racing towards the window next to the fireplace, he wrenched it open.

"Oh, dammit; _Accio Noctua_." A few moments later, a rather defiant black owl came screeching through the window and landed in Draco's arms.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry. Send this to mother, will you?" Noctua hooted indignantly and nipped lightly at Draco's hand, before flying out of the window. Draco sighed with relief and plopped down in an armchair.

"I like her name. What does it mean?" Hermione asked curiously, and Draco yawned.

"Noctua means owl in latin. I know; so creative." He replied sarcastically.

"Not creative," Hermione agreed," But clever." Draco raised an eyebrow at her, wondering if she realized she just called him clever.

"I am a Slytherin after all." He retorted, and Hermione let out a snort dipping her head back in to her delightful book. Two sentences later, Pansy came bursting through the doors, hanging her coat on the rack and undoing her scarf from her neck.

"I'm here! Hullo, Draco. Hullo, Hermione." She chirped and Draco groaned. Hermione chucked her book at his head, but with his seeker reflexes, he ducked.

"Bloody hell, woman!" He exclaimed, casually leaning back in to the couch again.

"You know, it would do you some good to be nice to Pansy. She's only been wonderful." Hermione huffed, and Draco mimicked her childishly.

"Come on Pansy; I'm nice to you, right?" asked Draco, and she concealed an amused giggle.

"Oh no, Draco. I'll have to agree with Hermione on this one." She replied coolly, and Hermione smirked. Draco shook his head, and picked up the book Hermione thrown at him, turning his attention to it instead of the two giggling women. Pansy took off her gloves, and motioned for Hermione to walk over to her.

"Come on! I want to see that how well Dumbledore decorated your bedroom. The living room is quite tasteful." Gushed Pansy and Hermione led her up the stairs to her room. Turning the crystal doorknob, Pansy walked in; her jaw dropped dramatically.

"Oh goodness! Purple and silver! Who would have thought! The silver and purple wall blocking, and the cream carpet-" Pansy continued to babble on for another minute before collapsing on Hermione's bed.

"Blimey, I wish I had a room all to myself." Pansy smiled at her and curled a piece of her short black hair behind her ear. Hermione was strongly reminded of her best friend, Ginerva Weasley, when Pansy sent Hermione a mischievous smile.

"How have you been dealing with Draco?" She asked, and almost laughed when Hermione's face blanched.

"Oh you know, he tried to give me a mug of hot chocolate and I sort of smashed it. I also used a bit of blackmail perhaps… I'll be trying everything." Admitted Hermione awkwardly. She wasn't quite ready to spill her whole life story to this witch she had just officially met yesterday.

"So tell me; do all the Gryffindor's call me a _toad_?" Pansy tried to ask carelessly, but Hermione could sense a sort of discomfort, or sadness in the air. Hermione watched as the girl sat up, and leaned her head against the headrest, looking anywhere but at Hermione.

"They don't know you Pansy. All they know is that you're a Slytherin, and you aren't like them. That's enough proof for them to hate you." Hermione didn't know if she was being reassuring or not, and she looked over to see Pansy had a thoughtful expression on her face.

"You know, you do the same thing with Draco. I know you aren't quite comfortable with me yet, but you seem to be more… accepting. With Draco, you act like all the rest of your house." Said Pansy fervently, and it made Hermione want to shrink and melt through the floor, because _gasp_; she was right.

"Even if the most of the Slytherins hate you because you're muggleborn, we all can agree that you are an astounding witch. It's a part of being clever, and quick-witted I guess. You've got to see the truth in things; helps you achieve you're obstacle," Pansy turned towards Hermione," That's why it must be so hard for you; admitting to your feelings. You aren't used to that, are you?" Pansy asked softly, and Hermione's eyes were burning. She looked to the ceiling, anywhere but Pansy. Pansy reluctantly wrapped her arms around the hapless witch, giving Hermione a sense of friendship she hadn't had in a while. She wanted to cry, but instead she screwed her eyes shut, and waited for the wave of tears to go away.

"If anyone can help you, its Draco. I'm sure of it." Whispered Pansy fervently, and Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Patting Hermione one more time, Pansy pulled away and practically dragged the witch down the stairs. To their surprise they saw Draco and Blaise Zabini having a heated debate.

"A silver snitch! It would make the game loads harder, making only highly qualified seekers allowed to play. I mean, imagine that game! And a _clear_ quaffle! I could think of a bunch of different prototypes, a modern evolution of quidditch-"

"Dear merlin man, are you out of your mind?" Draco huffed, "All these high tech models you speak of would push all the fun out of the game! We already are getting better and faster broomsticks, and that's all the thrill we need. The game has been the same for a very long time and who would you be to change it?" Hermione's head was bobbing back and forth between the two; it was like watching a ping-pong match. She squeaked. Both men jumped and Blaise raised an eyebrow.

"Well, this is an odd sight; Granger and Pansy. What's going on here?" Blaise's voice seemed to raise an octave and Hermione wanted to laugh at how uncomfortable he looked.

"It's a long story." Draco muttered quietly, and Blaise sat down in an armchair, and folded his arms.

"I've got all day." Hermione sent Draco a panicked glance, and Pansy let out a small _"Hmph!" _in displeasure at the situation.

"Let me go get us drinks." Draco said with a sigh, and Hermione slinked after him, unnoticed by Pansy and Blaise.

"Are you just going to tell him?" Hermione hissed and Draco didn't answer for a moment, pulling four bottles of butterbeer out of the fridge.

"Listen, Granger. I have friends too. Blaise here is my best mate. Don't you think I should tell him where I'm going to be for the next few weeks?" Draco questioned, and Hermione stuttered. She had been selfish.

"Oh, I- alright; but nobody else. I've been rather selfish; you can tell Blaise he is welcome whenever." She replied stiffly, and Draco's eyes were wide in surprise.

_You expect too little of her._ His mind scolded and he shook his head, walking out in front of her.

"I appreciate the thought, Granger. I'll have to take you up on that offer." He replied and they both plopped down on opposite ends of the same couch.

"Are you going to explain?" Blaise asked, and Draco sent a look to Hermione, she nodded.

"Well, you know how every Tuesday night Pansy and I go to the Astronomy Tower for a bit of light studying-" Blaise nodded.

"I'm dreadful at Astronomy, but Draco is rather an expert in it." Pansy added. Draco smiled lightly.

"Anyways, we were up there, and we saw… we saw Granger..." Draco clamped his mouth shut, and Blaise seemed to catch on right away.

"Oh… _oh_… okay." Was all he said, and he sent Hermione a rather quizzical look.

"Of course, we pulled her off and took her to Dumbledore's, and explained the situation. Dumbledore ordered her to three weeks in solitude, mostly away from her friends because, ah-"Draco pursed his lips," Because of certain _problems_. Dumbledore wanted me to look after Granger because I've had experience in handling these types of matters..."

"Of course, you're mother." Blaise stated, and Draco nodded solemnly.

"How _is_ your mother, Draco?" Blaise asked concernedly, leaning his elbows on his knees.

"I've just written to her this morning." Draco avoided the fact that he hadn't heard from her in about two weeks.

"Who knows how long that will take; maybe a week just to get to _her_. There is a thumpin' big blizzard out there right now. Herbology and Care for Magical Creatures is canceled until April." Draco raised an eyebrow and tried to contain the thoughts that were swirling in his mind.

"How long has it been since you've talked to her?" Pansy asked, and Draco rubbed a hand across his jaw line.

"Two weeks." Stated Draco and Pansy gasped audibly.

"That's too long Draco; you'll need to talk to Dumbledore _tomorrow_. You cannot wait any longer.

"I agree." Draco heard Hermione mutter under her breath, and he shifted uncomfortably.

"I will, but for now can we talk about something different?" Draco pleaded, and Blaise began to relax and ease back in the chair again.

"Of course Draco. Your wish is our command." Blaise drawled sarcastically, before giving Draco a wicked smile.

"Git."


	3. Chapter 3

After a few more hours of talking to Blaise and Pansy, they left with cheery goodbyes, and Blaise even gave Hermione and awkward pat on the back. After that, even though it was only one in the afternoon, Draco Malfoy wanted to sleep. Most of the nights, the past few weeks, Draco hadn't gotten a wink of sleep and was getting quite in to the habit of using a concealment charm. He had also learned to place a silencing spell on his door, muffling his screams when he woke up.

Closing his eyes, Draco sighed, and rubbed a hand across his smooth chin. His father was growing quite restless and resorted to owling Draco every morning, making sure that his son was going along with plan for the Dark Lord to rise. The most recent one was on the desk in the corner, and Draco gingerly picked it up.

_Son,_

_I hope the cabinet has been going well, and I'm counting down the days until I watch you take the life from your Headmaster's eyes. Do not fail me, Draco. I will not hesitate to kill you if you are traitorous towards the Dark Lord and me._

_Lucius_

Draco let out a weary sigh, and threw it in to the fireplace in his room. So much pressure was on his shoulders to do the right thing. Firstly, his mother; her safety was in his hands. He loved his mother dearly and he hoped she could see that. _Until Tomorrow._ Draco thought, and leaned back against his bed, placing his forearms over his eyes. But he could not sleep. His father's disapproval floated around his room and Draco cursed. That was another weight on his shoulders. Draco only ever wanted to do the right thing, but what was right and what was wrong? Yes, it was always right to listen to your elders. But no, it wasn't right to go and murder someone because your father said so.

And who was Draco to walk away from everything he has ever believed in? Draco had wanted to for a while, but he would find himself in situations that made him want to crawl back to where he belonged.

One of the times he had ever felt real fear, pure _terror_, was at the Quidditch World Cup. He had woken up to screaming from outside of his own tent, and he looked at his father's empty bed, and _knew_ he was out there. Draco knew he was causing those screams of terror. He had been trying to get away from all the commotion, when he had bumped in to the Golden Trio. Draco saw one look at the three of them, and knew that they thought he was to blame for this evilness. He had seen the subtly scared look on Granger's face, and felt something in his stomach. Guilt? Maybe. Compassion? Could have been. He remembered saying something awful along the lines of "Get the Mudblood out of here." Harry Potter and Ron Weasley had grumbled to him about how they knew his father was out there, before grabbing Hermione Granger and pulling her farther in to the forest away from the scene. Granger had sent back a look of confusion to the boy who claimed to hate her, yet insisted she leave as she was in danger. Draco had remembered feeling something along the lines of relief, and when he had whipped his head around he saw a man in a horrible mask walking towards him. He had unsheathed his mask, to reveal none other than his own father. Draco knew if he ever tried to disobey his father, he would kill him. And Draco was terrified.

Another time was when he looked in the mirror after he had just been initiated in to the Death Eaters; right after receiving the dark mark. He hadn't looked at it at all when Voldemort had administered the foul thing in to his skin; he remained more or less detached from the scene. Even as he felt the pure evil seep underneath his skin, even as he felt it burn and coil in the shape it wanted to he still felt as numb as he had before. He had remained indifferent all the way back up to the castle. He had remained indifferent all the way in to the Prefect's Bathroom's, but once he looked in the mirror, he saw nothing but a ghost of himself. He had felt dirty and violated by his own body and he wanted to crawl his way out of his skin and leave it to rot. Lifting his sleeve timidly, he saw the foul loathsome thing almost pulse beneath his flesh, and Draco was horrified at what he had become. He was a monster.

"Monster." Draco muttered to himself, and pushed a pillow in to his face. He couldn't breathe, but that was okay. After about three minutes, Draco lungs started to ache and it felt like a knife being stabbed in to his side. Ripping the pillow away from his face, he flung it across the room and it hit the wall with a _thump_.

In a few days he would have to return to the cabinet, and continue to fix it up. A few magic glyphs had worn away and Draco was having a hard time getting them just right. In a few days... Draco hoped they would last.

Draco opened his bedroom door to see Hermione leaning up against the wall next to it.

"I've been out here for a while." She said with no emotion, looking out in to nothingness.

"Do you have a silencing spell on your door?" Hermione asked his, turning towards him with mild curiosity, and he shrugged.

"I'm taking that as a yes. But why?" She asked, and Draco wanted to glare at her blunt questions, but he couldn't bring himself to.

"Sometimes I scream at night." He said, his voice losing all air to it, sinking until it was a low rumble. He expected for Hermione to laugh at him, but she merely just faced forward again, and replied.

"Me too." She stared out with disdainful scowl, as if the air itself had brought her life upon her.

"I was wondering if I could stay with you for a little bit. A few hours of sleep and you can wake me up." She pleaded and Draco raised an eyebrow, leaning against his doorframe.

"I guess; why?" He asked and she paled, her eyes widening.

"I don't want to be alone with myself. I'm scared of what I might do." And with that, Draco opened the door for her. She padded in quietly and saw the paper covered desk, and Draco prayed she wouldn't find one of his father's notes. He sat down in the chair, and began to sort through them, separating his notes from letters, and then in to class categories.

"You can lie down; I'll just be organizing and catching up on the homework I've missed." Draco didn't look back, but he heard her sink in to his mattress, mumbling a thank you.

He finished his Arithmancy essay in no time, but he was having trouble writing his Potions essay. What the hell was a snaggleroot leaf and how does it contribute to modern potions? Draco placed his quill down and groaned, leaning back in the chair. Taking a peek, he saw Hermione sprawled across his whole entire bed, and resisted the urge to chuckle and growl at the same time. Taking a look at the clock on the wall, his eyes widened when he saw it was nearly one o' clock in the morning. He had been working on homework for who knows how long. Draco stood up and yawned. He would have to wake Granger up. Shaking her shoulder lightly, he whispered,

"Granger, wake up. You've been asleep for a long time." She merely let out a whine of disapproval and squirmed away from him; to the opposite end of the bed. Draco pinched the bridge of his nose, before trying again.

"It's one o' clock in the morning. Go to your own bedroom now." He said a little louder, and he saw her eyes flutter open like a little child. For a second, Draco almost caved in and let her stay there. Shaking his head, he took hold of her wrists and lifted her in to a sitting position. She made noises of protest but eventually stirred awake, rubbing her eyes.

"Whattimes it?" She slurred tiredly, and Draco whispered one o' clock once again. Her eyes widened and she stood up abruptly.

"I'm sorry. I'll be going. Get a good night's rest because you'll be visiting your mother tomorrow." She said quickly, shutting the door. Draco was alone again. Crawling in to bed, he was a bit uncomfortable that he could smell her scent all over it. She smelled like a daisy, and Draco decided he liked that smell.

He had his first dreamless sleep in months.

The next morning, Draco woke up feeling strangely refreshed. He stretched and yawned, pulling himself out of bed and in to the shower. He would have to hurry up; Hermione starts to think strangely when she is alone.

_Hermione now is it?_ Draco laughed to himself, thinks were changing at a rapid pace and it left Draco feeling amused.

Getting out of the shower and changing in to a pair of black trousers and a gray sweater, Draco went downstairs. He was pleasantly surprised to see Hermione calmly doing her homework next to the fire.

"I suppose you're leaving?" Hermione questioned, and Draco nodded.

He was opening the door, when something struck him.

"Hermione? You should probably come with me to Dumbledore's. I'm not supposed to leave you alone." Hermione abruptly turned around and studied Draco for a moment.

"I suppose I should. Let me grab a cloak or something. The halls are chilly." She walked towards Draco and grabbed her cloak off the coatrack, following Draco out of the room.

"Let's be quick." Draco said and Hermione followed at a quick pace. She was feeling loads better with the amount of sleep she had last night. She still couldn't believe that he had let her sleep that long in his bed, it was _kind_. Draco Malfoy wasn't _kind_.

They had marched in to Dumbledore's office, thankfully not seen by any passing students.

_Thankfully not Ron or Harry. _Hermione thought to herself, and she felt an overwhelming sense of dread. She began to wonder when she would ever want to see her friends again. Frankly, Pansy and Blaise had been friendlier than Harry or Ron ever was. Draco had better friends than Hermione did, yet people thought otherwise.

_You still miss Ginny._ Hermione's conscience reminded and she agreed quietly. Ginny was never a problem and often she stood up for Hermione, and listened to Hermione talk about her feelings; She would miss her for the next three weeks.

"Miss Granger." Dumbledore stated, and Hermione nearly jumped a foot in to the air. Draco laughed until she sent him a glare.

"Mr. Malfoy had just asked for permission to see his mother, which I will always grant him allowance. But Miss Granger, will you be okay alone?" Hermione thought about it, and came to terms that she actually didn't know.

"I don't know." She admitted and Dumbledore took that in to consideration.

"I see. Mr. Malfoy, I want you to take Miss Granger with you." Both of them sputtered loudly and Draco was the first to talk.

"I don't know- mother- why can't she stay with Pansy?" Draco asked and Hermione nodded. She would never want to make his mother feel uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy, you are taking her or you aren't going." Draco huffed and looked towards Hermione, who begrudgingly nodded. They walked in to the floo together, and Draco grabbed hold of Hermione's forearm.

"Narcissa's Villa!" He announced, and they flooed away. They landed harshly on their feet, and near the front door.

. Hermione and Draco both stepped inside the foyer.

"Let's split up." Hermione suggested and they both nodded willingly. Hermione went left and Draco went right, they both said their goodbyes.

"Narcissa?" Hermione called out quietly, but she heard nothing. Treading up the stairs she walked through every room and saw nothing. Looking at the room at the end of the hallway, Hermione's stomach lurched. If she was on the left side of the house, she would be in that room. Hermione prepared for the worst, and opened the door.

" Narcissa no!" Hermione yelped, and reached for the woman who was inches away from death. She reached for the muggle gun in her hand, and wrenched it from the woman's grip. It took a lot of force but eventually she got it.

"Who even are you?" Narcissa asked icily, and Hermione stuttered.

"A friend of Draco's." She answered and opened the door again, calling out to him. Draco raced up the steps, and in to the room.

"She's alive Draco." Hermione said reassuringly and Draco nodded, racing over to his mother.

"Mother, why?" Draco asked quietly in her embrace, and her icy demeanor slackened and she let out a sob.

"Oh Draco, I'm tired of being afraid. I have no wand anymore and I'm constantly worried sick that your father is going to find me here… you've been doing fine without me Draco, I've noticed."

"Mother, I'd never be fine without you. You've got to believe me." He pleaded, and Hermione wanted to wrench her eyes away from the scene. But she couldn't.

"Narcissa?" She asked quietly, and both looked up at her incredulously.

"I can have the Order protect you if you want; all you would have to do it talk to Dumbledore. You could even try to stay in Hogwarts if you want, I'm sure Dumbledore would let you stay. What I'm trying to say is," Hermione straightened up, "You don't have to be afraid. You are strong Narcissa. There is so much life is offering to you, and you need to take it. I promise- I promise to you, that after this mess is all over, you'll be safe, sipping on some tea, and laughing over something silly you've read in Witches Weekly-" Hermione started choking up at the end, and she looked away, pushing the tears away. She had to stay strong for Narcissa. Narcissa pushed past her son, and put a hand on the girl's shoulder. Hermione was blubbering, and she laughed weakly, pushing the tears away.

"I'm sorry- I ridiculous-"

"Nonesense. Are you alright?" She asked, and Hermione nodded, sniffling.

"I'll be fine." She replied, not really knowing how to answer. Draco's eyes were darting back and forth between them.

"I'll be fine too." Narcissa stated and a tearful smile slipped its way on to her face.

"Could you take me back to Dumbledore's?" She asked quietly, and Draco nodded to his mother taking her arm gingerly. Hermione followed them down the steps quietly, and in to the foyer, where they silently flooed back in to Dumbledore's office.


	4. Chapter 4

**It seems that in my last chapters I have forgotten the disclaimer. I own none of the characters, and only the plot line.**

Landing in the office with a loud swish, Hermione cursed quietly and yanked Draco's arm back.

"Wha-?" He started, but his eyes darted down the steps where he saw two of the Golden Trio arguing with Headmaster. Even Draco had the decency to keep his mouth shut.

"We know you aren't telling us something Professor. Look, we are really worried-

"Why can't you just fucking tell us where Hermione is?!" Ron interrupted harshly, "None of the teachers seem to care where she's been so they all must know! TELLUS!" He was booming by the end, and Hermione wanted to shrink to the floor. Headmaster shot Ron an unusual cold look.

"I indeed know where Miss Granger is, but I am not obligated to tell you. All I can say is she is safe, and she wouldn't want you guys to worry about where she is."

"We just want her to do our bloody homework." Ron snarled, and Hermione's face reddened and she gulped back a sob.

"You are an arsehole Ron. Hermione is more than that and you just insulted her intelligence." Harry snapped, and Hermione felt a rush of warmth at his comforting words. At least Harry was a decent friend.

"Yeah, whatever. I'm getting Trolls on all my essays and Mcgonagall has given me detention for not completing yesterday's homework." Ron complained, and Hermione scowled. _Serves him right._

"That is your fault, Mr Wealsey. Sorry if I feel no sympathy. Harry, could you please escort your friend out of office, as well as yourself? Hermione is in good hands, mark my words." Dumbledore assured them, and Harry nodded respectively, dragging a thrashing Ron out of the office. The doors closed.

"Who's Hermione?" Narcissa asked curiously, and Hermione resumed to her now common expression; indifference.

"Me." She replied, and Narcissa sighed.

"Oh dear, seems that blasted redhead is a bit more trouble than he is worth." Narcissa commented, to no one in particular. Hermione could only nod.

"Ah, Mrs. Malfoy. How lovely to see you again." Dumbledore greeted them, and Narcissa smiled timidly.

:"Same to you, Albus. I was wondering if I could confide in you in something pretty serious." She said, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Narcissa had never had to rely on someone as much as she had to rely on Dumbledore.

"Confide away." Dumbledore said cheerfully, and Narcissa drew a deep breath.

"Albus, for a while I've been concerned for my safety, against my husband..." she cleared her throat," I was wondering if I could stay here for the time being. I have nowhere to stay." Narcissa admitted, and Dumbledore merely smiled.

"Of course, Narcissa. There is no need to be ashamed of your question. These are dark times." Dumbledore said airily.

"I'll show you the way; there is one near their dormitory." He motioned at Draco and Hermione who were standing off to the side. Both of them blushed and Narcissa raised an eyebrow.

"Right, we should get going now, mother. It's about dinner time, I'm starved." Draco rambled, and a smirk played its way on to her lips.

"Right. I'll see you soon, Narcissa." Hermione said warmly, before darting after Draco was sprinting down the steps. Racing down the hallway, she stepped in to their room before Draco shut the door abruptly behind her.

"What was the meaning of that?" Hermione asked teasingly, but Draco scowled.

"That was embarrassing." He muttered, and Hermione cocked her head slightly.

"Why?" She asked, but the look on his face gave her the answer she needed. She matched his scowl and whipped her head around, stalking off to the other side of the room. She was quite used to his prejudice attitude, but she really didn't go want to deal with it for three weeks.

"Just pretend I'm not here, go hangout with your pure-blood friends." She replied in a surprisingly calm manner, and he let out a snort. She gave him a contemptuous glare.

"Don't worry, I'll remember to _scourgify_ the couch when I get up." She hissed and Draco had the nerve to get angry back. He was the one who started at it.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! I said nothing about your status, yet you jump to bloody conclusions like it's your job. You think because you're so smart, you know everything, but listen here. You don't know one fucking thing about me. Leave your self-righteous attitude somewhere else. Go wallow in your self-pity, but not around me." Draco turned around and glided up to his bedroom, without anything to eat, and leaving Hermione in tears. One side of her mind was telling her that he was just being a bastard and didn't know how to talk to a girl.

But another side, the one that was growing, was telling her that she had been a bitch and had just got a firm telling to.

Sighing, Hermione realized he was right, but didn't feel like apologizing. She could wait until tomorrow. Conjuring up a blanket, she wrapped it around herself hoping to warm up, but in the end she still felt cold inside.

When she woke up from her nap, around midnight, she thought it was safe enough to go to the kitchen again and get a glass of milk. Doing just that, she sipped on it quietly, thinking about what happened earlier. It was hard to admit that Draco was right; she had been obnoxiously rude to him, put her pride was keeping her from apologizing. Her eye twitched and she sneered at the air.

"Good lord, you're scowling this late at night; are you always like this?" A voice drawled from behind her, and she rolled his eyes.

"Way to break the ice." She replied smoothly, and Draco let out a soft scoff, summoning a glass of water from the fridge. Hermione nervously began to fiddle with the trim of her sweater, and she looked up to see Draco lazily leaned up against the fridge, looking disinterested as he blinked slowly.

"Look, Draco-I'm sorry. I was way out of line. Even if I don't like you-" Draco rolled his eyes at this," I should have given you at least an ounce of respect. You deserve as much as that." Draco looked at her and saw that she was genuinely struggling to apologize, and he almost felt pity for her. _Almost_.

"To be honest, I- I don't really know how to speak to people. Even my friends. I'm always offending them one way or another…" She trailed off, looking towards to see how Draco was reacting. She was surprised to see that he wasn't. He seemed a bit uncomfortable with this piece of information; he looked like he was struggling to find any words.

"Come on- I just revealed a secret of mine. Now it's your turn." She almost pleaded, trying to take the attention away from herself. Draco gave her a sly smirk.

"Your awkwardness is no secret, Granger." Hermione groaned and he let out a small chuckle.

"Please?" She pouted and he raised an eyebrow at her.

"I guess. Let me think..." They both remained quiet for a few minutes, when Draco finally spoke.

"My father is planning to kill me?" Hermione looked at him, and let a nervous laugh. One look at his eyes though, and she knew he was serious.

"You are serious." She stated, gob smacked. Draco placed his glass on the counter, and hastily strolled out of the room. Hermione dropped her cup in the sink.

"Draco, wait!" She called out, jogging after him, grabbing on to his wrist. His sweater rode up his arm, and she gulped when she saw the horrible thing on his arm, before she could stare at it any longer, Draco ripped his arm out of her reach and sprinted up the steps. Hermione stared for a moment, before deciding to follow him.

"Draco!" She called out one more time, opening the door to his room without a second thought. Why she was doing this; she didn't know. It seemed that Harry's suspicions were true, and that Draco was a Death Eater. But it also seemed more than that. A lot more complicated. She saw the way he genuinely cared for his mother, and someone as evil as a regular Death Eater wouldn't have a heart. _My father is planning to kill me._ Hermione shuddered at those words, the way Draco had said them with a forlorn, distant voice. She wanted to help him.

She opened his door to see him sitting on his bed with his head in his hands. He lifted a pillow and threw it with such force, it slammed in to a portrait and the glass cracked. Standing up, he lifted his desk chair and threw it across the room. He was silent, yet left a disaster in his wake. He was throwing his textbooks left and right, and when he seized one, she lunged at him; taking the opportunity. She squeaked as she grabbed his wrist, flinching a little bit at the book he was holding high above his head. He had frozen, and was staring at Hermione with a bitter expression, which turned to a miserable one as he dropped his arm in defeat, plopping down on the bed. Sitting down next to him, she lifted his wrist, and lifted his sleeve once again, to see he had already used a concealment charm. She took it off, and gently traced the shape. Draco had jerked his arm, but she held it in place.

"Who did this to you?" She asked quietly, and Draco drew sharp breaths, praying to god he wasn't going to cry. _Not now, not in front of her_. Running his other hand through his short cropped hair, he turned away from her.

"My father." Draco whispered, and Hermione tensed up next to him, before slackening.

"Oh goodness, Draco. I'm so sorry." She wiped at her eyes which were now dripping with tears, he looked over at her incredulously. She was crying over him.

"Don't cry over me. I'm hardly worth it." She smacked him in the shoulder and let out a watery chuckle.

"Don't say things like that." She scolded, and a ghost of a smile made its way on to his face. She stuck her hand out, and sniffled.

"Truce?" She asked, and he hesitantly took her small hand in his. Hermione was surprised to feel it was calloused. She had expected it to be smooth.

_He plays Quidditch idiot_. Of course, Hermione had forgotten.

"Let's see how long this lasts." Draco stated sarcastically, and Hermione _Hmph_ed indignantly.

"I'll show you." She stated fiercely, before standing up and fixing his room with a wave of her wand. "I'm not very tired." Hermione stated and Draco nodded, he was too jumpy and agitated to fall asleep.

"I'll just be reading up here. Maybe finishing my potions essay." Draco mumbled, stretching and reaching for his potions textbook. Skimming through it, he felt the bed dip down next to and looked to Hermione quizzically.

"We are friends now. Friends do this." She reminded, and Draco nodded slowly, a little weary of her company. Pansy had often done things like this; she would sit there next to him and read a book or a magazine. _Nothing more. _He reminded himself, and almost chuckled at the thought of it being more.

"How will I ever pass my NEWTs?" Hermione asked, and Draco wanted to laugh, but knew she was probably being serious. She always seemed serious about these types of things and he decided not to take the chance.

"Err… perhaps you can ask Professor Dumbledore for lessons at night?" He asked feebly and her expression brightened.

"Of course! That's brilliant! I'll ask for you to. You're second in the class right? Probably all your classes are NEWT level-" Hermione continued to blabber and Draco began to get used to it, skimming through his potions book. As Hermione and Draco continued to read on, they heard a loud crash and shriek from downstairs. Looking at each other, they both drew their wands and raced down the stairs.

Ohhh, cliffhanger. I know, I'm evil. But seriously, your reviews are fantastic and I hope to keep entertaining you. This chapter is shorter than others, but I think my story is progressing quite nicely. Sometimes short and sweet is good. Be prepared for a longgg chapter next though.

BTW: I will not be accepting any betas. I know betas go over spelling and grammatical errors and give ideas, but I really don't need that. I believe they take away from the writers creativity they have stored in their mind.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N I just wanted to say, thanks for the follows and favorites! I'm very excited to continue this story 3 Heads up: Tenth reviewer gets the next chapter dedicated to them! AHH! If you have any suggestions, put it in my PM box! I don't answer to reviews, but I will answer to PMs. **

**oooo HGDM oooo**

"Pans?" Draco asked as he saw her draped across the couch, clutching her body and wailing. He had never seen her like this before, and was baffled at the sight. Hermione was the first to move. She kneeled down beside the girls head and reached for her trembling hands, giving them a squeeze.

"Pansy what's wrong?" Hermione swiped at her nose nervously," What happened?"

The raven-haired witch continued to shake violently. Her usual crystal blue eyes were now stained with red and were puffy. The witch shook her head, her hair flying in front of her face.

"No no no no-"Hermione shushed her, a look of shock and concern visible on her face. The girl's breathing slowed a little bit, and she closed her eyes, her mouth clamped shut and her lips white. Hermione turned towards Draco for some type of comfort, but he couldn't really give it to her. It's not like she did this all the time. Whenever she was sad she quickly reverted to anger. This was strange. Therefore, Draco gave her a hapless shrug. Hermione let out a labored sigh, and let go of Pansy's hands.

Pansy's eyes snapped open in a panic, and she clawed at Hermione's hands and yanked them back.

"No! Don't leave me. I- no-"Hermione sat down next to the girl, and held her like she would have held a sister. The girl's heart wrenching sobs seemed to echo off the walls as Hermione held her tightly, not really knowing what to do. She rocked her back and forth, until the poor girl had seemed to cry herself to sleep.

Crawling out of her arms and conjuring a blanket, Draco and Hermione retreated to a different couch. Hermione was wringing her hands nervously, and Draco was tapping his foot impatiently. They didn't speak; too afraid they would burst at the seams.

"What the hell happened?" Draco asked in a sickly calm voice, and Hermione's shoulders tensed as she looked over at him. His foot had stopped tapping, and his knuckles were white with the pressure he was putting on his wand, which was placed on the arm of the couch. She watched the vein in his neck bulge, no doubt caused by him clenching his jaw. He seemed ready to kill; a calm before the storm. Hermione stuck both her hands under her bottom to keep from playing with them, and she leaned back in to the couch. The past few days, she had realized that snapping at Draco did nothing to help Draco when he was in one of these moods. Composure was everything. She blew a deep breath she had been holding. _One…Two…Three._

"I don't know Draco." Was all she could say, she watched him swing his leg up so he could kick the table. Hermione kicked it out of reach, and Draco glared disdainfully at her.

"Let Pansy have a moment of peace, would you? Whatever hurt her; well let's just hope it's not in her dreams." Hermione glanced over at the sleeping girl, who let out a hiccup. Draco also glanced over at her, and dragged a hand down his face. This had come out of nowhere.

_Had it been Blaise? Had he hit a soft spot? Or worse- had someone touched her? Could she have been attacked?_ Draco had the sudden urge to jump up and check her for injuries. Before he realized what he was doing, Hermione's hand was on his wrist and she was yanking him back on to the couch. Her small hand was over top of the Dark Mark again, and Draco shuddered. He wasn't used to anybody touching him, especially _there_. But it seemed that Granger had no problem running her dainty little fingers over the tenebrous surface of his skin. He didn't know if he liked her being this close to him, and he hopped over a couch cushion, sliding his arm out of her grasp, and crossing it over his chest. He didn't see the look of hurt flash over Hermione's face.

She had always been a rather intimate person; she always liked to reassure the people she loved with hugs or simple hand squeezes, and it was hard to understand that some people didn't want that. Some people just didn't want to be touched or coddled. She knew this very well, but it still didn't soften the blow to her heart when she was reminded. She looked down at her sock-clad feet, feeling embarrassed with herself. Her head snapped up when she saw Draco standing up, and walking towards the steps.

"Where are you going?" Hermione called out, and he turned his head around.

"To bed; I might as well wait to question her in the morning. I want to be alert when I do." He disappeared up the staircase and out of Hermione's sight. She stared at the darkness for what felt like hours, before she closed her eyes. She wondered what it would feel like, to just fall in to a deep sleep, forever in the Utopia of her own mind. To have perfect scenarios filtered in to her haven whenever she wished. The thought was tempting, and she floated over to the window, watching stars twinkle across the ink sky. She could smell the sweet pine when the wind picked up and she breathed in deeply.

_It's almost winter. _She concluded, when the breeze chilled her to the bone, and left her breathless. Certain giddiness filled her, and a translucent smile reached her lips. She decided that her Utopia would have long winter nights, where she could lay by the firelight, or stare up at the clear sky. She imagined herself writing a note to her friends- scratch that- someone she cared about- telling them she would be gone to search the adventure of her own mind.

_They would go mental_. She almost giggled at the thought, but a breathy sigh left her lips instead, and she glided over to her own bedroom, padding up the staircase. Snuggling under her duvet and staring in to the fire, Hermione wondered what would happen when she reached the ends of her mind, her imagination sucked dry.

_I would be free._ She closed her eyes, with the same airy smile on her face. She could taste the sweet hot chocolate in her haven; it was close.

**oooo HGDM oooo**

"Hey. Granger." Hermione woke up groggily, to see Malfoy standing beside her bed, prodding her with uncertainty.

"Pansy is awake. She is asking for you." Hermione frowned deeply. She hadn't gotten to taste her hot chocolate. She shoved past Draco and wrenched open her closet door snatching a sweater off the hanger and a pair of jeans off the shelf, and Draco snorted.

"What's up your arse?" She gave him a bitter glare before marching off to the bathroom, slamming the door in the process.

"Go to hell, Malfoy." She mumbled, taking off her clothes and placing her new ones on.

"Say what you want, but Pansy needs you. I'm just trying to help." Hermione rolled her eyes and waited until she heard him leave the room before walking out of the bathroom, and proceeding to follow him downstairs. Turning the corner, she saw Pansy holding a cup of tea, her eyes bloodshot. Hermione plopped down on the couch next to her, and waited for Pansy to speak.

"My parents," she croaked; a small amount of tea splashed on to her lap, "They've joined the dark." Hermione could say nothing, and she stared at her hands for what seemed like days.

"They promised me-"Pansy explained," That they would never do that. We would remain neutral. Next thing I know, I get this bloody letter from them explaining how I'm due for the dark mark and a mission in two weeks. It's not like I want to do this, mind you. You-Know-Who will kill me if I don't show up. I have no choice."

"Draco, the Dark Lord wants to see you also, at my initiation." Draco was quite used to the Dark Lord asking for his presence at various death eater meetings. But for some reason, with Pansy announcing it in front of Granger, Draco felt a sense of panic and an urge to explain himself to her. But he kept his mouth shut and merely nodded. Hermione turned towards Pansy, and cocked her head.

"Are you going? To the meeting?" Hermione inquired, and Pansy shrugged half-heartedly.

"I don't really have a choice." She answered, and Hermione wanted to scowl. There was always a choice; even if it was more dangerous.

"Don't go to the meeting. Who gives a bloody shit what Voldemort thinks. He's scared of Dumbledore, he won't touch you as long as you're here. During the summer, we can have you escorted to- well- a secret place I'm not allowed to say until you swear loyalty."

"It's not that simple! My family has already pledged loyalty to him in fear; if I don't get initiated, they will die." Pansy gulped, "Even if he doesn't by a small chance, he'll take away ALL of my money, I'll have nothing to go off of."

"It's a matter of bravery, Pansy! You're so scared of him that you can't even think properly. He is weak, and scared. You see, Voldemort is so scared of dying, that _he split his soul in to seven pieces_. Harry has already destroyed one, but this is beside the point. Are you going to submit?!" Hermione raised her voice, and Pansy stared up at her incredulously for a few moments, before looking away.

"How am I supposed to just forget about my parents?" She asked, and Hermione sighed, closing her eyes.

"Just, don't think about that right now. We'll find a solution, okay?" She said with an exasperated expression, and Pansy nodded, standing up.

"I better go find Blaise. I didn't return last night and he is probably wondering where I am." She placed the tea down on the table, and solemnly walked away. She looked broken. As soon as she closed the door, Hermione turned towards opening and closing her mouth like a gaping fish. Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Are you- I-" She clamped her mouth shut and stared at him, unable to voice her questions. Draco plopped down on the couch next to her, and closed his eyes.

"You're judging." He stated, and she looked down at her feet.

"No, I'm not." She lied, and Draco growled. He grabbed a book off the end table and chucked it in to the fire.

Why was it so hard for him to just be normal? Every time he tried, something ended up coming up, and Draco felt like he was drowning. He knew how to swim, but he was getting tired; his legs felt like lead, and his arms felt like they were tied to anchors.

Before he knew it, his legs were leading him out of the common room.

"Draco! Stop-" He locked the door, and by the time Hermione opened it again, Draco was nowhere to be found. She timidly stepped out of the room, and walked down the hallway, searching for a head of platinum blonde hair. Hermione was a good person; she wouldn't just leave a person who was hurting. And Draco was.

'_For Pete's sake; stop treating him like a charity case._' Hermione grimaced at the thought, and peeked around the corner, Draco was still nowhere to be found.

"Hermione!" a voice called, and Hermione tensed. A sharp squawk like that could only belong to one person; Ronald Weasley. Hermione saw him running towards her, and she timidly smiled. Ron's face was beet red, and he grasped Hermione's shoulder, hard.

"Ouch, Ronald." She hissed, but his grip just tightened even more, his blue eyes had turned beady and he watched her like a vulture.

"Where have you been?!Do you know how much trouble we've been having without you?!" He roared, and Hermione sneered inwardly. _'Yeah, homework help.'_ Hermione let out a scoff.

"I'm not allowed to say where I have been. Frankly, I don't really want to tell you." She said quietly, and Ronald snarled characteristically. His fingers scraped her forearm as he pulled her closer, and lifted his arm to smack her. Hermione shut her eyes tightly, and the sting of his hand on her face pulsed with a certain evilness.

"Get away!" Hermione squealed, kicking him out of her grasp, as she raced down the hallway.

"Hermione!" Ron shouted lamely, and she shook her head fervently.

"Never- Never speak to me again!" She shouted back, running as fast as her legs would let her. She ran up a flight of stairs and down the hallway, to get back to her room. She saw Draco walking with his hands in his pockets, at a leisurely and solemn pace, right ahead of her.

"Draco." She breathed out, and he turned around, a hint of surprise visible on his face.

"Granger? What happened?" Hermione didn't answer, and flung her arms around Draco's neck, falling limply in his arms. Draco remained stiff for a fleeting second, before wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Let's go back to the common room, then you will explain." He whispered, and she let out a curt nod against his chest.

Draco sighed, this was going to be a long night.

**Hey lovelies! I'm sorry it took so long to update, and only with a short chapter. Sometimes I feel like my sentences are too short, or I use too many verbs. It's time to add description! R&R people, you know what that means! Read & Review, Rest & Relaxation. Both very important in having a kick ass story. Well, see ya soon!**


End file.
